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2 Chronicles 35

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2 Chronicles 35 Overview

Josiah keeps a Passover in Jerusalem with extraordinary care for priestly and Levitical order, large royal contributions, and widespread participation. The narrator says no Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel. Later Pharaoh-necho marches north to fight at Carchemish. Necho tells Josiah he has no quarrel with Judah and says God has commanded his mission, but Josiah disguises himself and fights anyway. He is wounded by archers at Megiddo and dies in Jerusalem, and Jeremiah joins the nation in lamenting him.

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Before you read 2 Chronicles 35

Coming from

Chapter 34 ended with Josiah renewing the covenant after the discovery of the book of the law.

In this chapter

Josiah’s reform reaches a high point in Passover, but his reign ends tragically when he intervenes in Necho’s campaign despite a warning the Chronicler says came from God.

Leads into

Chapter 36 rapidly recounts Judah’s final kings, Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the exile, and Cyrus’s decree permitting return.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The statement that Josiah did not listen to Necho’s words ‘from the mouth of God’ is intentionally surprising because the warning comes through a foreign king. The text itself interprets the warning as divine, so readers should not dismiss it merely because the messenger is pagan. This does not mean every claim by a political ruler to speak for God is trustworthy; here the inspired narrator supplies the evaluation.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Josiah’s Passover reflects serious attention to the law, priestly order, and generous provision.

Truth 2

A long record of faithfulness does not make a leader immune from one disastrous decision.

Truth 3

God can communicate a true warning through an unexpected political messenger when Scripture itself confirms it.

Truth 4

Josiah’s death is a national loss deeply mourned by the people and Jeremiah.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Second Kings 23:21-30 gives the parallel Passover and death account.

Connection 2

Exodus 12 and Deuteronomy 16 provide Passover background.

Connection 3

Jeremiah 46:2 refers to Pharaoh-necho’s battle at Carchemish in the period following Josiah.

Connection 4

Zechariah 12:11 later uses mourning in the valley of Megiddon as an image of profound national lament.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not teach that Christians should accept political leaders’ claims of divine instruction without scriptural warrant; the inspired narrator uniquely confirms Necho’s warning here.

Keep this clear 2

Do not let Josiah’s fatal mistake erase the genuine reform that defined much of his reign.

Keep this clear 3

The unusually great Passover is not a condition of eternal salvation.

Keep this clear 4

The phrase comparing Passovers concerns the character of the observance, not necessarily a claim that no Passover whatsoever occurred in the intervening centuries.

Read 2 Chronicles 35 watching for…

The careful organization of the Passover.

The scale of offerings from leaders.

The narrator’s comparison with earlier Passovers.

Necho’s stated purpose and warning.

Josiah’s disguise and refusal to listen.

Jeremiah’s lament after Josiah’s death.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-6Josiah prepares the priests and Levites for the Passover 7-19The king, princes, priests, and Levites provide offerings and keep a great Passover 20-24Josiah goes against Necho, is wounded in battle, and dies 25-27Jeremiah and the people lament Josiah, and his deeds are recorded

Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.

So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.

And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.

Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.

So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.

And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.

And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.

Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,

And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

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2 Chronicles 35:21

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